


High Hopes Low Honor

by Goldstone_Wolf



Series: High Hopes Low (Blank) [53]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), High Hopes Low Rolls (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Use, Insults, Poor Paddy, Whump, alcohol use, catcalling, implied/ferenced near character death, malark is a bit of a goof, migraine mentions, mina snaps, mostly just emotional whump, some minor verbal harrassment i guess, tws for:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldstone_Wolf/pseuds/Goldstone_Wolf
Summary: Three different kinds of spoken words: a backhanded compliment, a catcall, and a backhanded insult. Two members of High Hopes get into a fight, one of them gets catcalled at a bar, and then gets an insult that’s…not an insult.Paddy, I’m sorry. Malark, what in the name of chicken nuggets do you think that you’re doing.
Relationships: Eh I'm too lazy to tag relationships
Series: High Hopes Low (Blank) [53]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692196
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	High Hopes Low Honor

**Author's Note:**

> TWs should be listed in tags. I have never actually been catcalled before as I don’t leave the house, so this may not be realistic.  
> Anyways, I’m feeling a whole lot more alive today so here is what you’re getting for all…yeah. I lost one of my favourite manuscripts and all its notes somewhere in the chaos that is my room, it’s so homophobic (not really I just need to organise better I’m about as good at organising as Grian in Hermitcraft Season 6)  
> Also, I can’t write fighting for the life of me unless it’s combat (and even then it’s a bit off), so I apologise in advance. I just wanted there to be a reason for one of the characters getting a backhanded compliment. Also, I’ve never been in a bar, so…yeah.

Mina and Paddy were fighting after a long weekend, and it wasn’t going good for anyone involved.

Of course, Paddy didn’t really know when or why the fight had started in the first place. They were probably both just exhausted and angry and probably a little hungry, too. “Whitlaw, you’re such an idiot sometimes. You know, one day you’re going to get us all killed. I hope you’re happy about it.”

“Mina, we’ve been over this a thousand times. I’m sorry, okay?” Turning to her, he realised that she was barely paying attention. “Look, you could at least pay attention to me if you’re going to be arguing with me.”

“I am paying attention, unlike you were.” Holding up his hands, he stared at her for a few moments. Looking back at him, she smiled mockingly and asked, “Someone mad? I mean, I’m shocked, really. You shouldn’t be mad at _me_. If anything, all of _us_ should be mad at _you_ for earlier.”

“Mina, I apologised! Several times! You don’t have to forgive me, but that doesn’t mean you get to be a jerk!” He was yelling, and maybe he was being a little bit unfair. Deep down, he knew that Mina was trying to get a rise out of him. Everyone was tense and they needed a way to let it out. They’d nearly gotten hurt and he _should_ have been paying attention but he’d been hurt and was trying to make sure that Malark didn’t accidentally fall down a hole while completely blinded by whatever the monster was doing to him. Everyone had gotten away, thankfully, but they hadn’t caught the thing and now they had to go to a town for a supply restock. Yes, he deserved to get yelled at, and the rest of the group didn’t have to forgive him, but that didn’t mean Mina got to treat him like he was the worst person in the world.

Scoffing, she looked away, and he glanced over at Malark for some help. The assassin had pressed his hands to the sides of his head, still recovering from a migraine and in too much pain to hide it. Wincing sympathetically, Paddy took a breath. He and Mina needed to step back from things for a while, maybe take a break from one another, too, and come back to it when they were a little calmer.

Unfortunately for him, Mina decided _that_ was the _perfect_ time to keep fighting.

Whipping around, she started shouting at him in another language that he briefly mused might have been Infernal, and he stepped back while raising his hands. Malark, meanwhile, just squeezed his eyes shut as everyone paused and the assassin went to go sit on a rock and look absolutely miserable. “You’re so _annoying_ , Whitlaw, by the gods! You and that stupid magic of yours! You’re always wearing that stupid mask and you’re willing to risk your own neck to make sure it doesn’t get damaged! It’s just a dumb mask, Paddock! On top of that, you risk _our_ lives while you’re stumbling around after Malark like a blind chicken and avoiding the entire battle! He wouldn’t have even _been_ hurt if he wasn’t trying to save your sorry ass.” Stepping back, Paddy stared at her. Mina kept advancing. “You’re an idiot. I don’t even know how you’ve managed to last this long. No, actually, I do know—you’ve managed to make all of us think that somehow, you’re some form of competent hero and you _aren’t_. You should just go back to Bay Hollow and stay there!”

Shoulder shaking, he stared at her. “Is that really what you think about me, Mina?” His voice cracked on her name, and everyone glanced between the two of them. The air was uncomfortably thick with tension, almost to the point of choking them all.

Mina looked Paddy up and down, scoffing. “Wow. You know, you’re so charming sometimes it’s easy to forget you’re impossible to underestimate.” Doing an actual hair flip with all of her ponytail, the genasi turned and stalked off, shoulders hunched. Since she wasn’t really one for dramatics, though, she corrected her posture and strode on calmly.

Staring after her, Paddy felt a weird, almost sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He’d spent enough time with nobility to know what a backhanded compliment was. “That was nice of her.” Terra said innocently, and Paddy sent a feigned smile her way. Returning it, the young woman started running ahead to catch up with her friend.

Looking down at the ground and ignoring the sinking feeling in his heart, Paddy shook his shoulders and walked towards the city.

The Ginger Basin was the weirdest tavern that Paddy had ever been in, and that was saying something. He’d seen some weird ones on the path with the circus, but this was something else. Mina was still avoiding him. For the time being, things were fine. Awkward, but fine.

Slumping down at one of the open spots at the bar, he ordered a drink and then glanced back at Mina. She and Terra were dancing along to some tune or other that Brio and some other bards were playing. Nagar and Gimgar and Ava were all settled down at one of the booths, drinking and laughing as they waited for their food. They were having a nice time, and seeing them relaxing helped some of the weight on Paddy’s shoulders disappear just a little bit. Even with everything that had happened, the others were fine. They could take care of themselves.

Malark settled down on one side of him, and another man took the open seat on Paddy’s other side. The assassin glanced over, eyes slightly narrowed. _Is he mad at me, too?_ Paddy wondered, staring down into the cup the bartender brought over.

Before he really had the chance to think about it, a heavy hand suddenly slammed down on his shoulder. Jerking upright, he glanced over at the other man at the bar. Even the bartender didn’t seem to like him very much, although there wasn’t much of a reaction. Turning away, the elf started washing a glass with the towel in their hand.

Meanwhile, the guy beside him gave him the sense that he didn’t want to be there. Leaning a little bit more towards Malark, Paddy asked, “Can I help you?” He asked, smiling nervously. The guy’s breath reeked, and he leaned in a little more than Paddy was comfortable with. “Ah, sir. Personal space, please.”

The man grinned and then burst out laughing. Turning to his friends, he shouted, “Told you it would work!” Getting up, the man slapped Paddy on the back hard enough that he spilled his drink a little. “Sorry, pointy-ears, you’re not my type. Might be J’s, though.” He indicated a young human sitting with the dude’s friends, who laughed and then wolf-whistled. Whatever face Paddy made, it must have been disgusted or at the very least uncomfortable, because the guy laughed and slapped him on the back again. “You need to relax, man. Just a joke.”

The guy walked away, and Paddy heard some of the guys yelling stuff his way for a moment and then passing money over. Shuddering, he turned back to his mug and took a drink, then thought better of it and pushed it away. He wasn’t really in the mood anymore. Turning to Malark, Paddy leaned on one arm and then looked at the varied bottles stocking the tavern shelves, asking, “What do you think, Malark? Everyone’s been saying what they think for the past couple of hours.”

Malark looked Paddy up and down, icy eyes narrowing just a little above his mask. He wasn’t smiling. “Your heart is too good for this world sometimes, Whitlaw.”

Staring after him as he walked away, Paddy shook his head and then looked back down at his drink again. He picked it up, briefly considered drinking some more. Swirling the cup around, he paused and then sighed again. He wasn’t really thirsty anymore.

Today really hadn’t been his day, apparently.

**Author's Note:**

> Something I just realised—judging by the lack of new plant cover and the way that Bay Hollow looks, Paddy didn’t miss the burning by all that long. There’s still ash in the air and a lot of the areas left standing are still blackened and burnt. Unless if it doesn’t rain all that often in Tearmann, then I would say it’s maybe been a month or so at most. Otherwise the ash would have settled down pretty quickly, and there aren’t any visible fires that we can see.   
> Anyways, there should be more fluff coming tomorrow, and then we’re good! Maybe.   
> I’m gonna leave this here. Y’all are loved and appreciated and awesome and amazing and I hope you have a lovely day! Thanks and see you in the next fic!


End file.
